Mold-filling machine.



-' `s..c.BoND.

MOLD FILLING MACHINE. APPLIOATION rmzn Ins. 1s, 1912. ;1,059,267 A Patented Apr.15,1913.

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' Arron'mrv UNITEDl STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL C. BOND, F HOLLYOAK, DELAWARE, ASSIGNOIR 'E0 BOND BOTTLE SEALING COMPANY, 0F WILMINGTON, DELAWARE, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

MOLD-FILLING MACHINE.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patenten A'pr. 15, 1913.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL C. Bono, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Hollyoak, Newcastle county, State ot Delaware, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in MoldFill1ng Machines, of which the following is a spec1tication. n

My invention relates to improvements m devices for filling molds with granular substances, more particularly treated ground cork, and the objects of my invention will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, in which similar letters of reference indicate similar parts throughout the several views Figure l, is a front elevation of 4a battery of mold filling machines embodying my improvements. Fig. 2, an end elevation of Flg. 1; Fig. 3, a plan and Fig. `4:, a side elevation of the packer for packing the cork .1n the molds; Fig. 5, a plan of clutch for lifting the rods carrying the packers; Fig. 6, a central sectional elevation of the spring supported foot for carrying the molds during the operation of packing. Fig. 7 ,a central sectional elevation through the hoppers, connected with the upper ends of molds, when the latter are in the packing machine.

My invention is particularly designed for fillingtubes or molds of considerable length and small diameter with treated ground cork which, while in the tubes, is treated to solidify theimass; presently pushed out of the tubes in the form of rods and finally cut -into thin disks or washers for use in ecnnection withl bottle closures. It is essential for my purposes that the material be packed evenly in the molds and that each mold bepacked substantially as are all vothers and this is accomplished by the dcin Figs. 4 and 3.

5 are hoppers the lower ends of which are spherical or cylindrical in form which are furnished with an outlet G and which carry a shutter or gate 7 which is furnished with a perforation 8, which is made to match with the bott-om of the hopper and which is secured thereto by pivots `9. In one position the perforations in the hopper and shutter register. In another posit1on the shut1 ter closes the outlet 6 in the hopper.

10 is a foot, carried by a bracket 11 carried by frame 3, which consists of a step 12 which is supported by a spring 13. A rod or stem 414 projects down through spring 13 and out through the foot 10 and is furnished with jamlnuts 15 as shown to keep the footin place. By means of a set screw 16 the foot 10 may be moved vertically upon frame 3 to initially adjust this part of the machine tofthe length of tubes to be filled.

The mold 17 to be filled is held at its lower end on step 12 and at it-s upper end by a keeper 18 formed in the shutter 7, the springl 13 causing a close engagement of these parts.

To remove a filled mold from the ma- I Vchine it is only necessary to pull its upper end out of the vertical when the spring 13, lifting the mold upward, moves the shutter 7 outward and the perforation 8 in the shutter which is in register with the opening of vthe mold, out of register with the outlet 6 in the hopper and brings the rear part 19 of the shutter across the outlet 6 completely closing this latter. The shutter being moved outward as described, and shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2, the mold 17 is lifted ofi' the step 12 and an empty mold isplaced on this step and in the keeper 18 in the shutter when a slightpush -is only necessary to return the shutter to its first position and to vertically dispose the mold which is its position when being filled. Until the mold is completely filled the rod l is within it and serves as a lock to )revent a careless or inattentive 0perator rom prematurely removing a tube. The importance of this will be seen when it is understood that the n'i'olds must be completely flledprior to subjecting their contents to treatment else the resultant product will be useless.

As soon as a mold is put in place in the machine the foot on the rod 1, which has been prevented from falling by the shut-ter' 7 closing the outlet 6 in the hopper, drops by gravity to the bottom of the mold and, with it more or .less ground cork. The rods are lifted up a short distance and dropped by gravity and during this operation cork iconstantly passing down between the mold and rod and past the foot 4. The foot 4 is irregular in cross-section, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4 to permit the passage of the material past it and in side elevation it has the form of a ltruncated cone the larger end forming the working face. The eXtreme di-I ameter of the'lower and largerend of the fot 4 is but slightly less than the interior diameter of the mold 1-7, the grooves in this foot being of ample size to permit the passage through them Aofthe material4 to be packed when the rod 1 and the foot are lifted. In action the rod 1 and the foot ll, which I have found that the contentsof the'mold my purposes, unsatisfactory. As.r`1ore and Athe tube is it is"`necessary that areuneve'nly packed and the productie, for

morecork passes beneaththe foot this foot and the rod l rises. VWhenv the-cork has nearly or quite reached the top of themold, and `the lifting of the rod l brings the foot clear of the mold, much more cork enters the latter in a given time than is possible when partly closed by the rod and foot hence in order that the upper end ofthe mold be packed as tightly as theflower part the foot strike harder blows at this point. I accomplish this by a spring'20 which is, carried by rod 1 and which, when. the rod is operating at the upper end of the mold, engages and is compressed by a suitable stop every time that the rod is lifted.. A .part ofthe fra-me 8 makes an acceptable stop for this purpose. The expansion` of the spring 20 added to the falling weight of the rod and connected.

parts I find sufficient to accomplish my purpose.v s

As the posit-ion of the ro'd l is constantly changing the means for lifting and dropping it must adapt itself to these changing positions. I have found a convenient lifter to be simply a bar 21 with a hole 22 therei-n ofsomewhat greater diameter than` the rod l through which the rod passes. If the inner end of bar 21 be lifted the hole 22, acting as a clutch, will pinch the bar l and the'bar will \belocked to the rod. A `further lifting of the bar will cause it to lift the rod. As soon as the lifting means are removed from the bar this latter will fall down with the rod until it is arrested by a stop, as 23, .carried terial in the tube 17.

byfframe 3. It willbe observed that the rod l is lifted an equal distance every time. that the bar 2l is lifted, this lifting being entirely lindependent o lower end which engjages" and p cks themas The rod being liftedy and dropped equally throughout the operation of filling the tube or meld insures an even packing of the material titer-ein. Every 'twice at the same -drops the bars 2l which lift the rods'l.

y point.v

'the position of itsi footpasses when it will drop `from the sides and fall upon the-top of the body of cork already operated upon by the foot and be in position to be packed by the foot when it again falls. Every time that the rod is dropped the position of the foot 4 will be higher than it was at the last lifting, this being the ycase it will be seen that the rod lifting means does not engage the .rod 1 point during-the packing of any one mold, it is for this reason that some device which will engageand lift the rod irresplctive of its vertical positionmust be employed.

T he clutch arrangement which I have described answers the requirements perfectly.

The inner ends of the bar 21 may be lift-- ed by any suitable cam but as anumber of the `filling machines are for the sake of economy and convenience usually arranged in line I find it convenient to 'equip'ashaft 24, which carries fast and loose pulleys 25 which can be driven by a belt in the usual manner, with disks- 26 which carry near L.their peripheries a rod 27 which upon every revolution of the shaft 24 engages, lifts, and In F ig. 2 the rod 27 has liftedv the bari-21, and the latter the rod 1, to almost its full height. As soon as rod 27 is moved away from bar 21 Vthe latter will fall until arrested by a stop 23 where it will remain until bar 27` again engages and lifts it.

Having thus described my invention I claim as new and desire to secure by vLetters Patent l. In a machine for filling a mold with :losl l cork, in combination, a mold, a'packing foot of a diameter approximating the interior diameter of the mold andthe sides of whichy are serrated to'pass the` material vtobe packed upon an upward movement of said foot, a r'od carrying said foot, and means for reciprocating andpermitting a rotary movement of said rod-without removing the packing footA from the mold.

2. In a mold filling machina/in combination, a'packer, a means .for reciprocatlng said packer, and means for accelerating the operative movement of said packer when the mold has been lled to a predetermined 3. In a mold filling machine, in combination, a hopper, a gate, foropening or closing the lower end'of said hopper, furnished with a keeper for the upper end of a moldra tion, a hopper, a gate, furnished with a keeper for the upper end of a mold, pivoted to said hopper, a spring supported step for carrying the lower end of the mold, a packer, 'and means for intermittently lifting and dropping said packer.

5. In a mold filling machine, in combination, a multiplicity of mold carrying devices consisting each of a hopper and a spring .supported step, a vertical paekeripassng through each hopper, clutches consisting of perforated bars through which the Vertical roel of said packers pass, and rotating means for intermittently lifting said clutches and rods, Aall substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

6. In a mold filling machine, in combination, a hopper and means operated by the insertion or removal of a mold for opening or closing the discharge end of said hopper.

7. In a mold filling machine, in combination, a mold, a hopper communicating with said moll, a packer and means 'for operating the same, and means, operated by the removal of said mold, for closing the opening in said hopper through which material is fed to said mold.

SAMU EL G. BOND.

Witnesses ARTHUR I-I. G. Gnnnnr'r, lVALfrnn H. llA'rsoN. 

